A new goat for the old goats

Monday, April 30, 2012

We added a full-grown Nubian doe to our menagerie yesterday. She's a darling, but we're city kids, and neither one of us had ever milked a goat -- or anything else -- before. I wish we'd gotten this morning's exercise on video -- it was pretty much a fiasco. First, she refused to get up on the milking stand, so Tom had to crouch to milk her. Then the sweet feed I thought would distract her did, but only for about 45 seconds as she sucked it up. On to plan B -- hold the goat, pet her, sing to her, and pray!

We eventually got about a quart of milk into the pail, along with some grass hay and a few goat footprints. Strained out the bigger particles, pasteurized it and set it to chill. Guess we still have a few things to learn.

What was that show on t.v. - "Green Acres"??? I'm getting a couple of Nubian dry goats this week-end - and after reading your experience, am not at all disappointed that they don't need to be milked. Good bye weeds, hello Rambo and Lucky!